As I was saying...

As I was saying on Friday I was at home baking up a storm for the three parties on Saturday. I shared with you the truffles that I was making and I just couldn't not share with you the cupcake recipe.  Everyone, well everyone that I watched, who ate them murmured with delight and if it wasn't the middle of the silly season of overeating I'm sure everyone wouldv'e taken a second and/or a third one. But we were at a Hen's party which included: a bride to be, several witnesses (French equivalents of bridesmaids), and French girls who seem to have already learnt self-control and healthy eating habits. 

I'm beginning to wonder if they are born with an innate sense of good eating. There are hardly any 'All-You-Can-Eat' buffets here and the only ones I have found are not even French. Not even Pizza Hut has all-you-can-eat lunches. That used to be a favourite of our flat at while I was at University. The boys had the opportunity to fill up their hollow legs as our student food budgets didn't always stretch far enough to reach the end of their hunger. 

Do you like my photo? The Winter Spiced Cupcakes are on the bottom tier with the lovely pink hearts on them. The small delicate cakes were made by my gorgeous friend Virginie. You should become friends with her. Maybe she will make some of her mini cupcakes for you and then you will be asking her for her recipe.

So, as winter sets in here in the northern hemisphere enjoy warming your place with the smell of these cooking.  Can I encourage you to share the love - invite someone over for a cup of tea and a cupcake or give some away to cheer up someone's day. It's guaranteed to warm your heart at the same time. 

Winter Spiced Cupcakes (adapted from Nigella Lawson's Domestic Goddess)

150 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

.5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp mixed spice

pinch of salt

100g soft butter

160g dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons of natural yoghurt

125mls boiling water

75g dark chocolate

.5 tsp instant coffee

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg. 

Beat in one third of the mixture, followed by one tablespoon of yoghurt, repeating until all is used up.

Put the water, chocolate and instant coffee in a saucepan and heat gently over a low heat. As soon as the chocolate is just melted take off the heat and mix with a spoon into the cake batter. Don't overbeat - if you do you will end up with volcano's for cupcakes. 

Pour carefully into paper muffin cases, making sure you fill each muffin case to the same level, and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 mins. Mine took exactly 13mins to become dark, dense and perfectly moist.

Let them cool for 5 minutes in the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Once cold, ice and decorate according to your desires.